Overview
- A Palm Beach County deputy stopped Kathleen Thomas and issued a citation for “Wireless Comm. Device/Handheld While Driving” after a Feb. 11 traffic stop that carried a $116 civil penalty.
- Thomas obtained and posted bodycam footage ahead of a scheduled May court hearing that shows the deputy saying he saw her holding a phone in her “right hand” even though she does not have a right hand.
- Court records show the deputy who issued the ticket requested the case be dismissed for “lack of evidence,” and the hearing was canceled the day before it was due to proceed.
- Florida law bars manually typing or entering information into a wireless device for non‑voice communication but does not make merely holding a phone illegal outside school or active work zones, which makes such citations hard to prove without clear device or camera evidence.
- The viral video drew wide public attention and renewed questions about officer observations, how police interact with people with disabilities, and how prosecutors handle handheld‑device citations; the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office has not provided a detailed public response.